The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were especially hard on small businesses.

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Years before, I had served as President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce, so I understood what was at stake.

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Local businesses do far more than create jobs—they help communities come alive. I found myself wondering what ordinary people could do to help.

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Then a simple idea emerged.

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What if we all chose one day to shop locally—and invited others to do the same?

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That simple question became The Big Spend.

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A Simple Invitation

The invitation was simple.

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Choose one day. Shop locally. Spend intentionally. Invite others to do the same.

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What began as a grassroots idea quickly spread across Canada because it wasn't about a campaign or an organization. It was an idea that anyone could own.

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Together, Canadians generated more than $20 million in reported local spending and an estimated $100 million in economic impact for communities across the country.

The numbers were encouraging.

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But they weren't the point.

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They simply demonstrated what can happen when ordinary people decide to act on a good idea together.

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Why It Matters

The Big Spend reinforced something I've come to believe over and over again:

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Hope becomes most powerful when it takes practical shape.

Sometimes all it takes is one simple idea, placed into the hands of ordinary people, to strengthen an entire community.

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Continue the Story

The Big Spend eventually came to an end.

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The conviction behind it never did.

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I still believe that healthy communities are built by ordinary people who choose to show up, invest in one another, and act with hope.